Elkhorn Council approves permit for new liquor store

It will be in former Circle of Friends location

The City of Elkhorn Common Council voted 5-0 last Monday night in favor of approving a conditional use permit for a new liquor store in downtown Elkhorn.

Alderman Tim Shiroda, who currently has a business interest in Elkhorn Wine & Spirits, abstained from the vote.

The application for the proposed conditional use permit was submitted by Elkhorn Auto Parts and Manjit Singh to allow a liquor store at 23 E. Walworth St. in downtown Elkhorn, which formerly housed Circle of Friends and Elkhorn Auto Parts.

According to minutes from the Dec. 13 Plan Commission meeting, Bob Lanser said he wanted to rent out the vacant building since Circle of Friends had moved to another location.

At the Jan. 7 meeting, Alderman Tom Myrin raised a question about deliveries as well as the loading and unloading of product at the location, asking if the loading zone could be alongside the building rather than on Walworth Street.

Representatives of the new liquor store said that wouldn’t be a problem, as in the past at that building, loading and unloading had occurred through the overhead doors on the Washington Street side of the building.

The Council amended the conditional use permit, which also requires the applicants to acquire a liquor license, to include this stipulation and approved it 5-0.

Concerns shared

At the Dec. 13 Plan Commission meeting, several other businesses expressed concerns over the new liquor store.

According to the minutes, Gurvinder Singh of Elkhorn Wine & Spirits said he was opposed to the application for another liquor store in downtown.

Additionally, Frank Lueptow of Frank’s Piggly Wiggly & Liquor said he felt there would be issues with insufficient parking and no room for delivery trucks.

An employee of Moy’s Restaurant also raised concerns over parking, noting there are already parking issues downtown and a new liquor store would likely worsen the current parking issues.

At the Dec. 13 meeting, the Plan Commission recommended approval of the conditional use permit unanimously.